supplement

/ˈsʌplɪmənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsʌplɪmənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsə-plə-mənt/ (ame, mw) · /ˈsʌp.lɪ.ment/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsʌp.lə.ment/ (ame, ipa)

supplement — 名詞

  • supplementsingular
  • supplementsplural

1. something extra that you include with another thing when you want to make it ful

1.名詞B1
釋義

補充物；附加

改善或補足某事的額外事物

something extra that you include with another thing when you want to make it fuller or address something that is missing — such as earnings from a side job that you add onto your regular wages, or extra pages inserted into a report.

例句

Emma took on a part-time job as a supplement to her regular income.

Emma 找了一份兼職工作，當作正職收入的補充。

collocation: supplement to [something]

The company offers a pension supplement for staff who stay longer than ten years.

公司針對任職超過十年的員工提供退休金補貼。

同義詞
  • addition

    more general and neutral; a supplement often implies filling a gap, while an addition may be purely optional

  • extra

    more informal and less precise; used in everyday speech for anything added

  • top-up

    informal British English, especially for money (e.g. a phone top-up)

反義詞
  • deduction

    something taken away, especially from an amount of money

文法句型

supplement + to + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently used in the pattern 'supplement to + noun' — for example, 'a supplement to the report.' The thing being supplemented is typically financial (income, salary, pension, budget) but can also be abstract (a supplement to the discussion).

常見錯誤

❌I need a supplement for my income.
✅I need a supplement to my income.
💡the correct preposition after supplement (in this sense) is 'to,' not 'for.'

2. a product made from natural ingredients such as vitamins and minerals that you t

2.名詞B1
釋義

保健食品

含維生素或礦物質的營養補充品

a product made from natural ingredients such as vitamins and minerals that you take to keep your body healthy or to get important nutrients your everyday meals do not provide enough of.

例句

Many older adults take calcium supplements to keep their bones strong.

許多長輩會吃鈣片保健食品來維持骨骼健康。

collocation: take + [type] supplements

Joon buys vitamin C supplements every winter to help fight off colds.

Joon 每年冬天都會買維生素 C 保健食品來對抗感冒。

同義詞
  • dietary supplement

    the full formal name; more precise than supplement alone

  • health product

    broader category that includes supplements but also other wellness items

  • nutrient

    refers to the substance inside the supplement, not the product itself

文法句型

take + [adjective] supplement(s)

supplement + of + nutrient

用法筆記

Commonly appears in plural form (supplements) since people often take more than one type. The word 'dietary' is frequently used before 'supplement' to specify this sense. In Taiwan, these are usually labelled as 保健食品 (health food products) under local food-safety regulations.

常見錯誤

❌I took a supplement pill for vitamin.
✅I took a vitamin supplement.
💡the nutrient type comes before 'supplement,' not after it with 'for.'

3. an extra section of a newspaper or magazine, often sold separately or printed as

3.名詞B2
釋義

副刊；增刊

報紙或雜誌額外發行的專欄

an extra section of a newspaper or magazine, often sold separately or printed as a special insert, that focuses on a particular topic such as travel, fashion, or books.

例句

The Sunday newspaper includes a colourful travel supplement every week.

這家報紙的週日版每週都附送一本精美的旅遊副刊。

common in: Sunday supplement / weekend supplement

Léa read a detailed article about climate change in the magazine's science supplement.

Léa 在雜誌的科學增刊上讀到一篇關於氣候變遷的詳細報導。

同義詞
  • insert

    a printed sheet placed inside a newspaper, often for advertising; more specific and less common for editorial content

  • section

    a broader term for any part of a newspaper; a supplement is always extra and separate

文法句型

[newspaper/magazine] + supplement

supplement + on/about + topic

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 4 (book supplement): a media supplement is part of a periodical (newspaper or magazine) and is usually published on a regular schedule, whereas a book supplement is a one-time addition. In Taiwan, the most well-known example is the 聯合報 '聯合副刊' (United Daily News supplement).

4. an additional section included in a book — either placed at the back or issued a

4.名詞B2
釋義

補編；附錄

書籍末尾補充資訊的章節

an additional section included in a book — either placed at the back or issued as a separate booklet — that gives readers updated facts or material that came to light after the main text was finished.

例句

The dictionary's supplement lists over five hundred new words from the past decade.

這本辭典的補編收錄了近十年出現的五百多個新詞。

supplement at the end of a reference book

A supplement at the back of the textbook explains the maths formulas in more detail.

教科書後面的附錄更詳細地解釋了那些數學公式。

同義詞
  • appendix

    usually part of the original book plan and appears inside the book; a supplement may be published separately afterwards

  • addendum

    a formal term for material added at the end of a document, often legal or academic; slightly more formal than supplement

  • annex

    a document attached to a report or agreement; more common in official or business contexts

文法句型

supplement + to + [book/dictionary/textbook]

用法筆記

This sense is more formal and typically appears in academic or reference publishing. Unlike a general 'appendix' (which is planned as part of the original book), a supplement is usually created after the main book is finished, to include updates or corrections.

supplement — 動詞